Judy Neiman with a picture of her daughter Sydnee (Source: Yahoo News)

They suspect cost is the driving force

Even though the regulations for backup cameras in new vehicles is near, grieving parents and safety advocates want to know what the heck has taken so long.

The rearview camera mandate would make it so every vehicle would have a backup camera for seeing behind the vehicle when in reverse. The idea was triggered by the 300 deaths and 16,000 injuries annually caused by a driver's inability to see behind their vehicle when backing up. Many of the injuries and death affect young children and senior citizens.

Judy Neiman, 53, of West Richland, Washington, is just one of the many people who have experienced a tragic death due to driving a car in reverse without properly checking her surroundings before backing up. She accidentally backed over and killed her 9-year-old daughter, Sydnee.

"They have to do something, because I've read about it happening to other people. I read about it and I said, 'I would die if it happens to me,'" said Neiman. "Then it did happen to me."

The White House is doing something about it, but there have been several delays in regulating the use of these cameras. The rearview camera regulations date back to 2007, when Congress initially approved legislation to set these standards by February 28, 2011. This date was delayed to February of this year, and again to December 31.

While the Department of Transportation (DOT) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) are both behind the making of these new standards, others, namely automakers, have worried that the cost of installing these cameras on each vehicle would drive the price up too high. Parents and safety advocates blame worries regarding cost for the delays in safety.

NHTSA estimated that adding backup cameras to every car would add $58 to $88 to the price of vehicles that have an existing dashboard display screens. It would cost $159 to $203 for those without them.

In the meantime, Neiman grieves over her lost child who had survived four open-heart surgeries like a champ, but was eventually killed due to her mistake. She couldn't see her 4-foot tall daughter behind her van when pulling out of the garage.

Seatbelts are only good if you use them, same for sensors or cameras. We (society) have been suckered into this delusional belief that government can fix anything. So why should she even try?

Ralph Nader started this with the Corvair and Unsafe At Any Speed. Yes, we do need some safety standards. Look at what the insurance industry does and how quickly manufacturers respond. There are some manufacturers trying to deal with the latest results to keep sales up. Do we really need some bureaucrat unilaterally deciding what must be in my car?

What has government fixed that was actually better afterwards? OSHA hasn't done it because work place safety was already improving prior to their creation. Insurance companies offered lower rates and companies responded.

When government places criminal penalties on behvior that leads to fatalities then most will pay heed though it still cannot fix everything. We still have murder.

Here we (society) ignore her personal responsibilities and defer to government to think for those of us who are responsible. They pat each other on the back for a job well done and we get stuck with another useless product and the bill that goes with it. Meanwhile, there is no change in reverse fatalities. Yes, your government at work for you...